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Albany's Sports Talk LeaderFri, 16 Mar 2018 17:07:47 +0000en-UShourly1http://1045theteam.com/files/2011/10/logo.png104.5 The Team ESPN Radiohttp://1045theteam.com
Mohonasen Takes Its Shot at a State Title This Weekendhttp://1045theteam.com/mohonasen-takes-its-shot-at-a-state-title-this-weekend/
http://1045theteam.com/mohonasen-takes-its-shot-at-a-state-title-this-weekend/#commentsFri, 16 Mar 2018 17:07:47 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=305358Entering Friday, there were four Section 2 basketball teams still alive in the state tournament. The Capital Region sent 3 boys teams to Binghamton. Lake George and Mekeel Christian play Friday and while Mohonasen has to wait until Saturday, the Warriors won’t have to wait around long that day to tip off.

Mohon has been a surprise to some people this season, but they are further proof that playing a Suburban Council schedule all season, many games against Class AA schools, prepared them well for the playoffs. After an overtime victory in the Class A Regional Final against Utica-Notre Dame, the Warriors get set to take on Ardsley from the Westchester area. The opponent always present a challenge so will too the start time of Saturday’s game.

Head coach Josh Peck joined Big Board Sports to talk about his team that is two wins away from a state championship and the difficulty of playing a game as important as a state semifinal at 10:45 in the morning:

The final “Avenger’s: Infinity War” Trailer has been released and now the countdown to what is sure to be a major blockbuster can really begin. I count myself among the biggest Marvel fans but I’m not positive I could handle a 31 hour Marvel Movie Marathon, could you?

AMC Theaters is betting you can and will host said 31 hour Marvel Movie Marathon at select theaters. Here is the list of select films AMC will show in the marathon:

One of the many issues leading to a down season for the Siena Saints Men’s Basketball team was losing Point Guard Roman Penn for the final nine games of the season. Penn suffered a stress fracture to his heel during a very promising Freshman campaign.

“Dr. Rick Alfred and Dr. John DiPreta of The Bone and Joint Center performed the procedure on Penn, who missed the final nine games of the season with a stress injury in his heel bone. Siena said in February that Penn was expected to be sidelined for three to six months.

“The surgery went well,” Siena athletic department spokesman Mike Demos said. “Actually, the time it took to do the surgery was shorter than expected … They’re optimistic (his return) might be closer to the three months than the other extreme.”

The surgery cleaned up a cyst in Penn’s heel and filled in the gap, according to Demos”

The return of Penn will be instrumental in the Saints attempt to turn it around next year. If Penn’s Freshman year is any indication he’ll have a great MAAC career. Penn and the other young talented members of the Saints even have Jay Bilas’ attention. Jay was on “Big Board Sports with Rodger Wyland” with Saints Head Coach Jimmy Patsos and at the 17:50 minute mark of this interview points out how young and talented the Saints are.

I decided to employ some “Alternative practices” while picking my NCAA Bracket. I did one like normal, One based solely on my opinion, one on the toss of a coin and finally one based on which mascot I thought would win in a fight.

Opinion Bracket: Exactly what it sounds like. Simply my opinion of who will win each game.

Coin Toss Bracket: I flip a coin for each game, Heads the higher seed advances and Tails the lower seed moves on.

Mascot Battle Bracket: Digital Doug and Producer Woods rapid fire the teams mascots and I come up with some logic as to why I think which Mascot will advance.

A year ago Goz was talking some good natured smack about how good he is at picking NCAA Brackets. Meanwhile my daughter happened to come to work with me that day, she jokingly challenged Goz and thanks to a decent head start in points, 26 to be exact she won. Which left Goz hosting an entire show in a Hooters girl uniform. Well it’s a year later and time for round two!

This year the stakes are slightly higher as Bells is only getting +20 and 1/2 points and Goz is still embarrassed from last year. On the line this year? The loser will have to recreate the famous Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson picture where he’s wearing a black Turtle neck and Fanny Pack. Both contestants are in the Team Bracket Challenge so you can keep track easily.

]]>http://1045theteam.com/2nd-annual-goz-vs-bells-bracket-challenge-audio/feed/0Zach Bye: NFL Free Agency & an Impassioned Message for His Alma Materhttp://1045theteam.com/zach-bye-nfl-free-agency-an-impassioned-message-for-his-alma-mater/
http://1045theteam.com/zach-bye-nfl-free-agency-an-impassioned-message-for-his-alma-mater/#commentsWed, 14 Mar 2018 18:11:13 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=305230Broncos general manager John Elway set into motion a series of dominoes on Tuesday. Denver’s agreement with quarterback Case Keenum opened the floodgates for a bunch of moves and seemed to connect all the Kirk Cousins-to-Minnesota dots be:fore the former Redskins QB arrived to meet with the Vikings.

Zach Bye jumps on with Rodger and Chris to discuss if Elway is finished in the quarterback market, free agency and/or draft, which could affect the Jets plans with the 6th overall pick next month.

Always with eyes and ears on the Capital Region sports scene, Zach reflected on another successful season for his alma mater, Saint Rose and delivered an impassioned message to the Golden Knights’ administration.

]]>http://1045theteam.com/zach-bye-nfl-free-agency-an-impassioned-message-for-his-alma-mater/feed/0Getty ImagesSyracuse's 'First Four' Primer w/Mike Watershttp://1045theteam.com/syracuses-first-four-primer-wmike-waters/
http://1045theteam.com/syracuses-first-four-primer-wmike-waters/#commentsWed, 14 Mar 2018 17:41:21 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=305227Whether you think Syracuse deserves an at-large bid to this year’s NCAA Tournament or not, it doesn’t matter anymore. Or at least it will stop mattering at 9:10pm tonight. I wouldn’t have put the Orange in (based on the many times I watched them play, not their SOS or RPI), but that same sentiment is what helped drive Syracuse to the Final Four a couple of years ago as a 10 seed.

Is this the same type of team though that surprised the field before bowing out to North Carolina? Mike Waters from Syracuse.com and the Post-Standard helps us break down the matchup with Arizona State in a meeting of two 11 seeds in Dayton, Ohio.

]]>http://1045theteam.com/syracuses-first-four-primer-wmike-waters/feed/0Getty ImagesLa Salle Institute Lax Has a Familiar Face as its New Head Coachhttp://1045theteam.com/la-salle-institute-lax-has-a-familiar-face-as-its-new-head-coach/
http://1045theteam.com/la-salle-institute-lax-has-a-familiar-face-as-its-new-head-coach/#commentsWed, 14 Mar 2018 17:20:18 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=305225Shane Hendry won a sectional championship as a lacrosse player at La Salle and now the 2006 graduate will try to bring the Cadets back to those heights as the program’s new head coach.

No matter what the calendar says, if we ever truly turn the corner to spring, Hendry will hope the chemistry being developed right now will translate to wins on the field. La Salle is a young group with a first-year head coach, but the style of play Hendry is implementing might just be perfect fit.

Coach Hendry joined Big Board Sports to talk about returning to his school in a different role and to preview the season:

]]>http://1045theteam.com/la-salle-institute-lax-has-a-familiar-face-as-its-new-head-coach/feed/0Getty ImagesJay Bilas & Jimmy Patsos Team Up to Break Down the Brackethttp://1045theteam.com/jay-bilas-jimmy-patsos-team-up-to-break-down-the-bracket/
http://1045theteam.com/jay-bilas-jimmy-patsos-team-up-to-break-down-the-bracket/#commentsWed, 14 Mar 2018 17:01:39 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=305222When Jay Bilas and Jimmy Patsos agree to come onto a radio show together, the best thing any host can do is get out of the way. Siena’s head coach and the ESPN college basketball analyst lent their knowledge of the game to us as we get ready for the best two days in all of sports; the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Find out who both Jay and Jimmy like in the Final Four, the National Championship and what lower seeds have the ability to surprise some people in the next 48+ hours.

]]>http://1045theteam.com/jay-bilas-jimmy-patsos-team-up-to-break-down-the-bracket/feed/0Getty ImagesSyracuse is In, What Does Jim Boeheim Think of the Matchup?http://1045theteam.com/syracuse-is-in-what-does-jim-boeheim-think-of-the-matchup/
http://1045theteam.com/syracuse-is-in-what-does-jim-boeheim-think-of-the-matchup/#commentsMon, 12 Mar 2018 16:41:46 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=305063Syracuse celebrated its selection into the NCAA Tournament like a team that knew it was on the most-fragile of bubbles. And its head coach was right in the middle of it all. Even after 42 seasons.

There was genuine surprise or at least relief and joy when Syracuse’s name was revealed as one of the at-large bids and as it turns out, the last at-large bid. The Orange are no stranger to being on the bubble the last few years, missing out on the big dance last season. But the last time people questioned Syracuse’s inclusion to the NCAA Tournament, Boeheim and company took their 10 seed all the way to the Final Four.

Can they do it again as an 11 seed starting with a First Four game against Arizona State Wednesday at 9:10pm on TruTV? Jim Boeheim joined Big Board Sports to relive the excitement of Selection Sunday and to preview the road ahead:

]]>http://1045theteam.com/syracuse-is-in-what-does-jim-boeheim-think-of-the-matchup/feed/0Getty ImagesI Think You Should Be Elected To Sing The National Anthem!http://1045theteam.com/i-think-you-should-be-elected-to-sing-the-national-anthem/
http://1045theteam.com/i-think-you-should-be-elected-to-sing-the-national-anthem/#commentsFri, 09 Mar 2018 17:17:24 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=304939For years now I’ve thought there has to be a better way to select who sings the National Anthem at major sporting events then just selecting who’s popular at that time. This idea became even more important to me after the NBA All Star game where Fergie did a terrible job singing the National Anthem.

Here’s the deal, Fergie is super talented and I enjoy some of her music but does that mean she should be left unsupervised to destroy the National Anthem? I say no! I would like to see the country adopt a specific group or individual to cover the Anthem at all major sporting events for a full calendar year. Possibly an up and coming artist, maybe a school band or just a big name act that’s sick of these versions of the anthem that become more about the artist than the country it represents. By doing this the band would agree to provide a tastefully done anthem we can all enjoy.

I realize that here in the Capital region we’d need to adopt another way to protect the anthem and then I got this email for the Tri-City Valley Cats.

National Anthem auditions to take place at

Crossgates Mall on Saturday, April 14

8th Annual event is open to all, with the opportunity to perform prior

to a premier ValleyCats game during the 2018 season!

TROY, NY – The Tri-City ValleyCats will host their 2018 National Anthem tryouts at Crossgates Mall on Saturday, April 14, where participants will have the opportunity to earn themselves a performance prior to one of the ValleyCats biggest games of the season!

The auditions will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. and run until 12:30 p.m.

Registration for the 8th Annual event will begin at 9:30 a.m. on the lower level outside of Lord & Taylor.

A panel of judges will score the performances based on sound quality, stage presence, and song accuracy. The top five finalists will have their performances taped and placed online for a fan vote.

The top vote recipient will receive the opportunity to perform on one of the biggest nights of the year at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium such as Opening Night or the 4th of July, in front of an average crowd of 5,000+ fans! The rest of the finalists will be awarded the chance to sing at another night during the season.

Auditions will be conducted on a first-come, first-perform basis, can be done individually or as a group, and must either be acapella or performed with a musical instrument that does not require power.

This is how it should be done moving forward. EARN THE RIGHT TO PERFORM THE NATIONAL ANTHEM! Well done Valley Cats!

This is great news for the Special Olympics but I can’t tell you how proud I am of my friends. The Lawless family has always been there to help me understand the Special Olympics and to help me point my efforts to help in the right direction. To think almost five years ago when I met Eddie he was a shy guy that didn’t have much to say and now he’s an ambassador for the Games! The same thing can be said for his brother Anthony. Here’s a guy that barely said two words to me the first time we met and now he more than holds up his end of a conversation lol. Finally Colette, from what I can tel mom has never been and will never be shy lol. She is outgoing, fun and has a heart so large it could crush the Capital Region. Everything my buddies Eddie and Anthony needed to help them reach their potential. I am so proud of these guys and their great mission to Chicago. (The Lawless’ are featured in the above video from 1:32 – 2:47)

It’s rare in my opinion that the #1 seed needs a win in a #1 VS #2 match up more than the #2 seed does but that’s the case this Saturday. The number one lacrosse team in the country Albany Great Danes travel to the second seeded Maryland Terrapins this Saturday at noon and the pressure in on UAlbany.

The reason this is a “must win” for Scott Marr and the Great Danes is this, The Danes only play one more high profile team this season. Meanwhile the Terrapins are featured on the Big Ten network or better for the rest of their games. Basically if Albany loses Saturday they would need Maryland to tank and they would need to annihilate Yale in April to get a sniff of the top spot again. Just one more reason to watch Albany take on Maryland at College Park Saturday at noon on the Big Ten Network.

The Athlete of the Week is a great chance for you to let us know about extraordinary athletes right here in the Capital District. We were so happy when we got an email recommending Ashley Cirilla. This young lady is an up and coming soccer star who’s doing great in school.

She’s a member of the Olympic Development program that helps prepare exceptional athletes to make a run at their Olympic dreams. She’s headed out to Scotland to play there and will get to take in some professional soccer while on the other side of the pond.

Here is a sample from the email suggesting Ashley:

Ashley currently plays for the Albany Alleycats which is a premier travel soccer program in the area. She is on the 2003 Girls NPL team which is currently ranked #1 in the National. Ashley is the starting midfielder for this team. Besides Alleycats she plays for the NY North ODP (Olympic Development Program) team. She has been on this team since she was 12. This team is a team you try out for and contains girls essentially from lower weshchester/NY all the way out towards Syracuse. There is another team for NY south and I believe for NY West. So in NY we have 3 of these teams.

Ashley is a great student. Her gpa is around a 3.8-3.9.

To summarize, Ashley is on the path to represent our Team USA Women’s Soccer program in the near future. I am hoping that you could have Ashley on your show before she leaves for Scotland to compete in her first international competition.

March Madness is officially in full swing now with automatic bids being rewarded to conference tournament champions. Tonight the action continues as the MAAC tournament champions will be decided at the Times Union Center starting at 2:30pm. The best championship game of the weekend featured the Liberty Flames and Radford Highlanders battling it out for the Big South conference championship. ESPN broadcaster and former CBS-6 television anchor Doug Sherman was on the play by play call for what proved to be the first buzzer beater of championship week.

The shot gave Radford their NCAA tournament bid in program history and their first since 2009. What other buzzer beaters do you believe are on the way? I really enjoyed how Sherman let the moment happen on screen, rather than talk over the emotion of team. Did you like Sherman’s style on the call? Let us know that and more below.

]]>http://1045theteam.com/former-albany-sports-broadcaster-calls-first-march-madness-buzzer-beater/feed/0College Hoops, Yanks-Sox Rivalry & Golden Statueshttp://1045theteam.com/college-hoops-yanks-sox-rivalry-golden-statues/
http://1045theteam.com/college-hoops-yanks-sox-rivalry-golden-statues/#commentsFri, 02 Mar 2018 00:46:15 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=304536Moonlight won Best Picture! With zero premeditation, that line and that moment from last year’s Academy Awards will follow Adnan Virk forever. The ESPN studio host was part of The Oscars: All-Access broadcast last year, fulfilling something of a dream for the self-proclaimed cinephile, when a moment of confusion at the end of the night called for some clarity. That’s when Adnan’s voice arose announcing Moonlight as the winner, not La La Land.

On the verge of being part of that webcast again, Adnan Virk joined Big Board Sports to break down this year’s nominees for the golden statue and he weighs in on the state of college basketball and the rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox which is heating up again:

]]>http://1045theteam.com/college-hoops-yanks-sox-rivalry-golden-statues/feed/0Getty ImagesNCAA Dilemma in Light of FBI Investigation & Big Dance Favoriteshttp://1045theteam.com/ncaa-dilemma-in-light-of-fbi-investigation-big-dance-favorites/
http://1045theteam.com/ncaa-dilemma-in-light-of-fbi-investigation-big-dance-favorites/#commentsFri, 02 Mar 2018 00:18:41 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=304533When it comes to holding the NCAA and its coaches and players accountable, don’t expect ESPN college basketball analyst Dan Dakich to pull any punches. The former Indiana star and head coach doesn’t do it for ratings. He doesn’t do it simply to be polarizing. Dakich’s no-nonsense approach to broadcasting, whether it’s on the call for a game or for his daily radio show in Indianapolis, is in line with how he lives his life and deals with trolls on Twitter.

The NCAA has a problem. It isn’t a new problem, but there is a new fact-finding mission led by the FBI and that is what has everyone on high alert. From the most successful programs and head coaches in the game, everyone is sweating a little with the possibility of a rogue assistant coach, agent or flat out disobedience of NCAA rules.

Dan Dakich joined Big Board Sports:

]]>http://1045theteam.com/ncaa-dilemma-in-light-of-fbi-investigation-big-dance-favorites/feed/0Getty imagesAre the Knicks Tanking? ESPN's Sarah Spain Breaks It Downhttp://1045theteam.com/are-the-knicks-tanking-espns-sarah-spain-breaks-it-down/
http://1045theteam.com/are-the-knicks-tanking-espns-sarah-spain-breaks-it-down/#commentsThu, 01 Mar 2018 16:20:08 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=304462I don’t like to use the word tanking when it comes to the NBA, but if the Knicks don’t win many more games the rest of the season, that’s not a bad thing. Head Coach Jeff Hornacek admitted that winning is not a priority the rest of the season, it’s developing young players. It always a nice confidence boost when young players can win a few games, but if they lose more than they win the rest of this season, the Knicks will be better off in the long run.

ESPN’s Sarah Spain of “Spain and Fitz” weekdays from 7-9pm on 104.5 the team spoke to Rodger and Brian on “Big Board Sports” about tanking in the NBA and the future of the New York Knicks.

]]>http://1045theteam.com/are-the-knicks-tanking-espns-sarah-spain-breaks-it-down/feed/0Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesWhat Was More Embarrassing For Syracuse Basketball Fans Last Night?http://1045theteam.com/what-was-more-embarrassing-for-syracuse-basketball-fans-last-night/
http://1045theteam.com/what-was-more-embarrassing-for-syracuse-basketball-fans-last-night/#commentsThu, 01 Mar 2018 15:51:23 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=304473The final night in February was not great for Syracuse Basketball fans. In the collegiate ranks, the Syracuse Orange lost to the Boston College Eagles 85-70. The Coach Jim Boeheim led Orange were sitting squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble and likely needed two wins to close out the season plus at least one in the ACC tournament to increase their resume for the selection committee. Instead, the loss to BC sends the Orange likely back to the NIT tournament instead. In the NBA, former Syracuse player Wesley Johnson was the victim of a cross over move by James Harden. Below is the video complete with Texans wide receiver quoting legendary WWE commentator Jim Ross.

For me the loss to Boston College was much worse. The Orange blew their NCAA tournament chances with that loss, unless they can pull off a miracle run in the conference tournament. The Harden cross over is over rated. The best one ever is stsill Damon Stoudamire over Ron Harper

If you are a Syracuse basketball fan, what do you think was worse? The Wesley Johnson fall or the loss to Boston College? Let us know below.

]]>http://1045theteam.com/what-was-more-embarrassing-for-syracuse-basketball-fans-last-night/feed/0Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesUAlbany Men's Lacrosse Ranked #1 and Will Be There For The Long Haulhttp://1045theteam.com/ualbany-mens-lacrosse-ranked-1-and-will-be-there-for-the-long-haul/
http://1045theteam.com/ualbany-mens-lacrosse-ranked-1-and-will-be-there-for-the-long-haul/#commentsThu, 01 Mar 2018 07:34:04 +0000http://1045theteam.com/?p=304468It will be a long season and things can change, but knocking the UAlbany men’s lacrosse team from number one is going to be a tall order. The Great Danes are that good this season, and well deserving of being ranked as the number one ranked team in the country. The college lacrosse world knew in the preseason that UAlbany was going to put a dominate team on the field this season. Two games into the season, they weren’t wrong.

UAlbany will play their first game in program history as the number 1 team in the country this weekend at Casey Stadium vs. Cornell at 1pm.